WMS Guide 2021

Warehouse management systems are coveted now more than ever as consumer behaviors continue to shift. This short list of leading solutions can help your business stay agile to meet surging fulfillment demands.

Freight Bill Audit & Payment: Sparking Supply Chain Synapses

Supply chain analysis and insight have become top of mind over the past 18 months. These freight bill audit and payment (FBAP) firms conceive solutions and activate process improvements for shippers’ transportation networks and strategies.

Syfan Logistics ‘Goes to College’ to Solve Labor Challenge

Syfan worked with colleges and universities around its headquarters to develop a program to meet current hiring needs as well as build a foundation for the future.

2021 Trucking Perspectives

Through its exclusive annual survey of motor carriers and shippers, Inbound Logistics offers a picture of the trucking industry in an economy distorted by supply chain disruptions.

2021 Top 100 Truckers

Inbound Logistics‘ annual Top 100 Truckers directory offers a comprehensive guide to help you find carrier partners that best fuel your diverse and demanding needs, especially in today’s challenging and volatile business climate. More than 200 trucking companies, including the best-paying truckers, submitted their credentials to be considered for the list. IL editors evaluated surveys […]

White Glove Services: When It’s Time to Call In a Specialist

Q: When and why would someone need a special commodities carrier? A: Special commodities carriers are experts at performing complex, often delicate, moves that most freight carriers would not typically handle. Customers that utilize special commodities carriers expect an extra level of care, professionalism, and quality of service. Special commodities carriers are selected when the transport […]

September 11, 2001

Originally posted in September 2001, Inbound Logistics looks back on the memories of 9/11 – 20 years later.

What’s the first thing you would do to address the truck driver shortage?

Improve the quality of life on the road. “Shipper of choice” and “broker of choice” wouldn’t be terms because they would be the norm, not the exception. Clean accommodations and safe resting/sleeping areas would be everywhere. Getting trucks loaded in under two hours would be the expectation everywhere in every sector. Higher standards for drivers from all partners = a better job = more drivers.

Vertical Focus | Agriculture

Unearthing the Land of Cotton You can sell unwanted cotton clothes at a garage sale or donate them to avoid landfills, but what about burying them in soil? The Goondiwindi Circular Cotton Project in Australia recently found that old cotton textiles can improve soil quality on farms, potentially unearthing a large-scale circular solution for textile […]

Americans Take the Bait

Precision Starts with Visibility

The new must-have supply chain qualities are speed and accuracy—and the cost for not measuring up is unequivocally high. Manufacturers have been given a seemingly simple choice: maintain optimal levels of accuracy, dependability, and responsiveness, or pay the hefty price. Assuming success will be easy is a costly mistake.

How can brick-and-mortar retail make a comeback?

Retailers are wise to prioritize flexibility rather than putting all their eggs into either in-store or online baskets. The future of retail may be brick-and-mortar for some, however many factors are still at play. It’s not a simple answer. The future is not one-size-fits-all. The ability to be nimble and proactive not only boosts efficiency, […]

Supply Chain Boot Camp

Undercover Boots, based in Panama, has been designing and selling its colorful rain boots and shoes since its founding in 2014. Over the past seven years, it has expanded sales to 72 countries, even though only eight individuals are listed on its employee roster.

Creating a Business-Friendly Environment

At the crux of Michigan’s central expressways, five Class A rail lines, and the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, you’ll find the City of Romulus, which residents refer to as the “Home of Opportunity.” The city’s access to transportation and 3,146 acres of undeveloped land have positioned Romulus as a logistics hub for developers from Michigan and across the nation.

3 Ways to Bolster Your Supply Chain

Organizations across industries have spent decades optimizing supply chains for maximum profit, but the pandemic highlighted almost overnight how little attention these companies have paid to resilience. As production and mobility of goods experienced historic disruptions, demand quickly exceeded supply and forecasts have failed to produce reliable information for months.

10 Ways to Improve Your Supply Contract

Brexit, COVID-19, and the Suez Canal congestion brought Force Majeure clauses in supply chain contracts into sharp focus. Force Majeure clauses seek to limit the liability of a party whose performance is affected by an unforeseen event beyond that party’s control.

It’s Time for All Retailers to Go Hybrid

Marcia Brey is vice president, distribution, with GE Appliances, a Haier company.

What is the secret to a successful shipper/3PL partnership?

Three fundamental pillars define a successful partnership: a direct application programming interface (API) integration, a shared target customer, and a partnership mentality focused on solutions. When any one of these pillars falter, the client suffers and that is unacceptable. As a 3PL, it’s our responsibility to help clients mitigate pain points and enable growth.

Handle with White Gloves

As consumers become increasingly comfortable buying over-sized goods online, manufacturers and retailers partner with white-glove, last-mile delivery services to make in-home set-up and assembly a first-class experience.

Acing Your Stress Test

Facing more frequent disruptions—from natural disasters to the pandemic—supply chain professionals are shifting their focus to mitigate risk and assess resilience. Post-pandemic, 93% of executives responding to a McKinsey survey say they expect to increase resilience by rebalancing their supply chains, an increase from 70% before the pandemic. A supply chain resilience stress test is […]

Other Reasons Why Supply Chain Stress Won’t End Soon

Our "new normal" global consumption reality won’t be ending soon. It’s not just e-commerce, virus buying, and the resultant impact on transport lift availability that’s driving shortages. Other factors augment long-term stress on your ability to marshal supplies and source transport to serve customers. Millennials with buying power, and there are lots of them, will […]

Finding a Caffeine Fix

Fresh Strategies for Rebuilding Retail

E-commerce retailers construct new partnerships and processes to enhance operations, brick by brick.

It’s Time for Women in Transportation

When the pandemic first hit the United States, it wiped out millions of jobs, particularly among women who found themselves back home and coordinating everything from elderly parent medical issues to home-school activities for kids.

Combating the Logistics Labor Shortage By Addressing Driving Factors

Understanding the underlying causes behind the logistics labor shortage is key to addressing it. Here are the strategies implemented by Taylored Services to combat the shortage.

Florida: Logistics Coming in Hot

The Sunshine State is a logistics hotspot, offering sizzling transportation connections, blazing industrial real estate opportunities, and blisteringly efficient import/export capabilities.

Avoiding Freight Detention and Seizure

Knowing the most common reasons CBP seizes a shipment can help you avoid the hassle.

Tive Helps Optimize Courier Deliver OTIF Pharma Products by Eliminating Temperature Excursions

Without real-time visibility into your pharma shipment’s location and temperature, you are risking costly failures in your supply chain.

Change Is Here to Stay in the Supply Chain: Here’s How to Manage It

The peaks and valleys we’re experiencing in the transportation market are not for the faint of heart, but there are moves you can make to regain some control.

Logistics Supports a Healthy Pharma Industry

From managing distribution channels to boosting visibility and security, the pharmaceutical and life sciences supply chain mixes complexity with risk. Here are the technologies and strategies that inject efficiency into supply chains.

There’s No Easy Button for AI and ML

It’s easy to get excited about using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to transform supply chain and logistics operations. Take a bunch of data, run it through a model, and uncover the hidden answers that take your business to the next level.

Incentives Brighten Site Selection Decisions

Tax, energy, and land incentives can turn a good location into a great one. Here’s what companies and the logistics providers who serve them need to consider as they explore locating, relocating, or expanding their businesses.

It’s Time to Rethink the Routing Guide

The routing guide is the manifestation of a shipper’s transportation strategy and a rough estimate of its budget for the upcoming year. It connects the annual bid with actual load tendering within a TMS, and strategically allocates and assigns each shipment to the appropriate carrier.

3 Ways Dynamic Pricing Helps Retailers

Dynamic pricing is everywhere. Just about anything purchased through Amazon has been impacted by some element of dynamic pricing. Surge pricing on Uber, toll road prices that rise as traffic builds up, and even concert tickets are using the technology.

EVs Get a Charge Out of Aluminum-Ion Batteries

Aluminum-ion rechargeable batteries charge 10 times faster than lithium-ion batteries, recent test results show in a study by Australia-based Graphene Manufacturing Group. Although their energy density is about 60% of the energy per weight of the best lithium-ion batteries, they provide other benefits: Speedy charge. A smartphone running an aluminum-ion battery could charge fully in […]

How to Import Duty-Free with Section 321

Running an e-commerce business can be a great source of income, but it can also be complicated. Ordering products from the other side of the world, navigating global logistics and even setting up successful sales channels are all a huge problem for retailers to overcome. Then throw into the mix of this a huge trade […]

Light Through the Cloud

Regina Andrew did more than survive the pandemic—it thrived. “If you didn’t do well in the home furnishing industry during the pandemic, then you were doing something wrong,” says Jim Bonomo, the company’s chief operating officer.

Navigating Unexpected Hiccups

Uncertainties and unexpected hiccups can hit businesses at any time. Without resilience and enough preparedness, a business can struggle to cope with these unforeseen events.

7 Critical Questions You Need to Ask

With a huge number of constantly shifting variables, suppliers, and other factors to consider, it’s easy to feel that managing supply chain risk is an unending battle that you’ll never win.

Tech Support

The need for supply chain resilience, visibility, agility, and control drives technology across multiple sectors.

E-Commerce Innovation: Leaders of the Pack

E-commerce brands looking to protect merchandise and reduce their carbon footprint are exploring surprising new packaging materials, designs, uses, and re-uses.

Fertilizer Company Launches Autonomous, Zero-Emission Vessel

In an effort to reduce its reliance on diesel trucks, Norway-based fertilizer company Yara International has developed the first autonomous, zero-emission cargo ship. The Yara Birkeland is fully autonomous in piloting as well as port operations, allowing the vessel to dock, tether, and begin the cargo transfer process on its own. Yara relies on diesel […]

8 Surefire Ways to Navigate Global Supply Chain Upheaval

Demand volatility coupled with capacity shortages. Lead times stretching out weeks, even months. Congestion at ports worldwide. What can shippers do to keep their supply chains moving? Plenty.

Plastic Pallets Stack Up Sustainability

What’s in store for the pallet industry, and how will it affect retailers’ sustainability goals? Jeff Pepperworth, president and chief executive officer at iGPS Logistics, a national plastic pallet pooling services provider, shares his outlook. Q: What’s the state of the plastic pallet industry at the moment? Right now, the industry is robust. We see […]

Extreme Project Logistics: Take It to the Limit

Demanding logistics projects can bring out the best in teams as they band together to navigate an array of complex challenges.

Big Ideas for Small Companies

Small companies take big steps to navigate supply chain challenges.

2021 Summer Reading Guide

When it’s time to absorb your next audiobook or crack open a book this summer, take a dip into this collection of fresh research, actionable advice, and best practices to refresh your supply chain knowledge.

Catch Me When I Fall

A trust fall is a team-building exercise where the one doing the falling willingly trusts that those standing behind will catch them before they hit bottom. We chose the trust fall as an apt theme for our annual third-party logistics edition. Whether you voluntarily fall or are shoved by business realities—pandemic, labor shortages, remote workforces, […]

3PLs Have Your Back

Shippers trust their third-party logistics partners will be there for them—no matter what the business conditions.

Top 10 3PLs Readers’ Choice Excellence Awards

These third-party logistics providers have earned your trust—and your votes—with their consistency and customer service.

2021 Top 100 3PLs

When your enterprise faces supply chain and logistics challenges, these partners won’t let you fall. In alphabetical order, here are the 100 third-party logistics providers deemed best of the best by Inbound Logistics editors.

Demand Accuracy In Your Supply Chain

During the pandemic, a lot of the focus on supply chain tended to be on the supply side, and rightly so, due to the highly publicized sourcing, production, distribution, and transportation issues. As a result, organizations continue to look to increase productivity, flexibility, and agility through programs such as Lean, increased automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, and others.

Reducing Customer Costs Through Strategic Inventory Movements

The supply chain presents a considerable, albeit unavoidable, cost to companies. Efficient operations with a proactive logistics partner are vital in allowing companies to maintain a balance between this expense and the final cost of product.

Flexing Labor Practices to Respond to Supply Chain Disruptions

Responding to e-commerce surges without compromising service levels, MD Logistics flexed labor across its business by emphasizing four core elements.

From Robots to Running Shoes

With homebound consumers buying new shoes and gear like never before, DHL Supply Chain and Locus Robotics helped Brooks Running race to meet consumer demand and prepare for future growth.

Echo’s Managed Transportation Solution Supports Resin Distributor’s Rapid Growth

Leveraging enhanced technology and a dedicated LTL carrier network, Echo’s solution enables M. Holland to meet national business needs with a more strategic routing process.

Pool Distribution Increases the Speed to Market for Fast-Fashion Giant

A major fast-fashion retailer got a leg up when SEKO Logistics streamlined workflows with a 24/7 performance portal to manage metrics, outside market conditions, and costs.

Blend of Solutions Saves the Day for Yogurt Maker

When yogurt maker Noosa needed to sleeve bottles of drinkable yogurt while maintaining their temperatures, Verst provided solutions to make sure processes went smoothly.

3PL Outsourcing Beyond the Initial Goals

RedStone understands that cost savings are just a part of each client relationship; a 3PL must provide more if the relationship is to withstand the demands of an ever-changing supply chain.

Need Speed Across the Supply Chain? It’s All About the Barcode.

Warehouse and DC managers are following the lead of their e-commerce peers and looking at ways to streamline their receiving and warehouse processes. One of the smartest places to start is also one of the simplest—barcode label printing.

3PLs in Agriculture: Know the Roots of the Industry to Make Your Impact

From LTL and dedicated route service to seasonal and year-round storage, 3PLs need to be well-versed in the space to meet the specialized needs of agricultural companies.

Combating Labor Shortages: New Warehouse Tech Offers a Competitive Edge

Innovative technology increases productivity, combats unpredictability, and streamlines processes. An augmented, connected worker is more efficient and more valuable than ever before.

Technology Can Supercharge Your Supply Chain, Here’s Where to Start

Q: What are the most important technology trends in the supply chain? A: With the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting global supply chains, real-time product and shipment visibility has become paramount to disruption planning and customer expectations. According to the most recent Gartner study, "By 2023, 50% of enterprises will have invested in a real-time transportation […]

5 Ways to Keep Your Supply Chain on Track in 2021’s Unprecedented Peak Season

Peak season 2021 is gearing up to be one of the most active in recent history. If your business is often unprepared for shipping surges, this peak season won’t be any easier.

How Short-Term Bids Can Produce Long-Term Benefits

Mini-bids act as a supplemental strategy, providing short-term revisions to rein in costs and shore up failing routing guides. You need the most accurate and reliable data to execute a successful mini-bid strategy.

Adopt an Integrated TMS to Tackle Supply Chain Complexity

Q: Why should I consider a transportation management system (TMS) now? A: Rates and capacity in all modes will be volatile for months to come. Without the ability to manage rates and carriers, you’ll likely pay more for shipping than you should. Manual tracking or relying on forwarders, brokers, or carriers for updates means you’ll […]

Canada-U.S. Trade: Connections

The tight relationship between the United States and its northern neighbor makes cross-border trade seamless and efficient. Logistics professionals leverage these connections to keep goods flowing and supply chains humming.

Supply Chain Continuous Improvement Requires Collaboration, Trust, and Tolerance for Failure

Q: How can a 3PL affect continuous improvement of their partners’ supply chains? A: Ruan’s approach to effective continuous improvement (CI) is centered around creating value within our partners’ businesses. CI begins with a clear understanding of each unique supply chain and baseline performance measures. Although tools and techniques vary, the first steps involve analyzing […]

Deploy a Robotics-Driven Fulfillment Solution to Reach Peak Productivity

Q: 3PLs and retailers are planning for volume surges ahead of peak season. What is driving this? A: This peak season, as consumers regain financial confidence, e-commerce is expected to exceed a level of volume that exacerbated the supply chain the previous year. Warehouses are already experiencing painful labor challenges including high turnover and shortages […]

Reducing Inbound Freight Costs and Improving Accounting

Q: How can our company account for inbound freight costs on our month-end accrual reports? We prefer to route our own freight and use our own third-party carriers for these collect orders. A: Unfortunately, you are experiencing an industry-wide issue. Pre-rating based on purchase order information can pose a real risk. Your purchase order may […]

Rail Transportation: What Shippers Need to Focus On

Q: How have the recent rail mergers changed the rail landscape for shippers? A: Shippers have been averse to rail mergers due to concerns of a reduction in competition, imposed routing limitations, and an increase in service disruptions. The two most recent mergers between the CSXT-Pan Am Railway and Canadian National-Kansas City Southern are still […]

People Aren’t Going Anywhere

Although automation helps shippers meet unprecedented demand for faster and cheaper delivery, people are essential for a well-functioning network, says a Coyote Logistics report. As supply chains grow increasingly complex, technology is more efficient at sifting through large data sets in real time and running scenario analyses. However, people aren’t going anywhere (see chart). No […]

Vertical Focus | Energy, Oil & Gas

Offshore Wind Project Isn’t a Breeze President Biden recently approved the Vineyard Wind project—the first major U.S. offshore wind farm—off the coast of Massachusetts. The project, which would generate up to 800 megawatts of electricity from 62 giant wind turbines, is expected to produce enough electricity to power 400,000 businesses and homes in New England […]

Winding a Way Through Supply Chain Education

Leading professors provide a map for navigating the labyrinth of post-pandemic supply chain education.

How has the pandemic affected supply chain partnerships?

The pandemic magnified the need for collaborative partnerships between service providers and customers. We have seen things happening in the market you almost couldn’t make up in Hollywood, and those that have remained transparent and collaborative in navigating these challenges have succeeded. —Matt Friedman Vice President, Sales, Warehousing Mainfreight Fluctuating production and consumer demand, coupled […]

Smart Clothes Hit the Rack

Will warehouse workers suit up in electronic clothing? Possibly. MIT researchers released a line of smart clothes that can track physical movement, and Fudan University researchers in China unveiled state-of-the-art electronic textiles that can produce visual displays. This is all happening as wearable devices continue to streamline supply chain operations and provide critical feedback in […]

Solving the Global Data Dilemma

For as much time and effort spent trying to perfect the systems and technologies we rely on for global logistics, it seems the industry has lost sight of how people actually get work done.